Lewis Hamilton has been ordered to take down an on-board video clip from social media because it broke guidelines set out by Formula One's new owners, Liberty Media.

Liberty have encouraged drivers to reach out to fans by posting behind-the-scenes selfies and videos online, with Hamilton one of the keenest to comply.

But footage of his pole lap in China nine days ago was deemed unacceptable by Liberty because on-track action is the preserve of official broadcasters.

Lewis Hamilton is known for reaching out to his fans on social media in between races

F1's new owners Liberty Media requested that Hamilton took down an on-board video clip

Sportsmail understands that Liberty representatives spoke to Mercedes and members of Hamilton's personal management team to ask they remove it from his Instagram account. Hamilton immediately agreed to the request.

Liberty said: 'Formula One has issued a new set of social media guidelines allowing teams and drivers to film and record their activities to bring the sport closer to the fans.

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'However, F1 does not want drivers posting 'international feed footage' as this has been licensed to broadcaster partners, in many cases exclusively.

'Whenever a mistake is made, teams and drivers are asked to take down any relevant footage.'

Hamilton and Mercedes were spoken to by Liberty representatives and the post was removed

F1 does not want drivers posting 'international feed footage' as this has been licensed

It is not the first time Hamilton has had to remove a controversial video. In 2015, Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda told him to delete a recording of him firing a machine gun at a Colorado shooting range on the same day as a gun attack on a train in France.

Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff told Hamilton he needed 'to be aware of what is happening out there in the world.'

Despite the latest transgression Hamilton resumed videoing around Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix, giving his followers a guided tour of his private driver room in the Mercedes hospitality and engineering area.

He was more concerned afterwards about having lost to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, partly through a few unforced errors, most glaringly blocking Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo in the pit lane, for which he received a five-second penalty.

Hamilton now trails the German by seven points after three races, with Russia coming up next a week on Sunday.

A huge dilemma awaits Wolff and Lauda. To what extent do they throw their support behind Hamilton at the expense of team-mate Valtteri Bottas and their traditional belief in open racing?

Hamilton, who will take part in testing in Bahrain on Tuesday, said: 'We have work to do in the test, trying to strengthen the car, strengthen the knowledge of the tyres, so I can attack and be at a better position in the next race.

'Ferrari have been the team to beat from the get-go and nothing has changed. Sunday was not an optimum weekend, but if a non-optimum weekend is second and third, we can pull together and have a first and second.

Hamilton now trails Sebastian Vettel by seven points after three races, with Russia next up

'People will be, like, 'you finished second you should be happy' but that is not why we exist. If anyone thinks I should feel happy with second, I don't know what to say. I should have easily been on pole. Then I lost position at the start. Solely my fault. Then you get the time lost in the pit lane.

'You practise and practise and practise. You only have 20 opportunities and when you f*** up, man, it is painful.

'If I am a V12, perhaps this weekend I was only a V10, so I need to work to make sure I am firing on all 12 cylinders next time.'